That might not be an entirely fair description of the situation. The article itself is a summary of what was previously known since the second VOI plan was announced a year ago.

The spacecraft itself has lost only one function so far (the OME). The remainder of the loss is because of the much higher final orbit resulting from the OME failure and revised VOI plan, and the statement that "of its seven planned missions, Akatsuki will be able to complete only one," makes the situation seem more dire than it should. The higher orbit will reduce the resolution of the imaging experiments, but they will still return much of the originally planned data.

http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/planet_c/topics.html#topics7299Apr. 1, 2016 UpdatedAKATSUKI regular observation to begin in mid AprilAKATSUKI has been performing test observation by turning on its onboard observation instruments one by one. The instruments are starting up normally, and we have already conducted successful observation that is equivalent to be a “minimum success”(*), thus we will move to the regular operation in mid April.

* Minimum success: The minimum goal for achieving a mission. For AKATSUKI, the minimum success is to capture Venus’s all-globe cloud structure by continuously acquiring image data (for every few hours) using some of its onboard cameras from Venus orbit.

Image: Test observation result by the Longwave IR camera (LIR) The image shows a bow-shape clouds running from the Southern hemisphere to the Northern one of Venus. This is the first time to learn such a phenomenon.

Five months since a belated arrival at Venus, Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft has officially started a modified scientific survey of the sweltering, shrouded planet’s atmosphere and climate.

The probe’s science cameras are collecting regular images of Venus’s exotic clouds, and Japanese engineers are optimistic Akatsuki can remain operational for at least two years, and perhaps through 2020.

http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/planet_c/topics.htmlMay 23, 2016 UpdatedA movie of the Venus' night-side produced by IR2This movie is produced from the IR2 2.26-μm images, acquired on 29 March 2016 at a distance of 0.36 million km. Original 4 images were acquired with 4-hour intervals from 16:03 JST (07:03 UT).In 4 hours, the super-rotating clouds move by ~10 degrees. Such images are numerically derotated to produce intermediate images so that the resultant motion becomes smoother. Deformation, appearance and disapperance of clouds are obvious in this movie. As the mission enters the "nominal" observing phase, we plan to shorten the intervals to 2 hours or even shorter so the high-definition movies will definitely help understanding of the Venus atmosphere.

http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/topics/2016/0729.shtmlHappy Birthday, Akatsuki! On July 19, Akatsuki celebrated 1st Venus's year anniversary (a year on Venus is 243 Earth days). Akatsuki keeps working well and continues to gather lots of data. The four cameras aboard the Venus Climate Orbiter "Akatsuki" keeps sending down images.

Using the Akatsuki spacecraft, Japanese scientists have detected a large, bow-shaped anomaly in the upper atmosphere of Venus. Strangely, the 6,200-mile-long structure is refusing to budge despite the 225 mile-per-hour winds that surround it.

Researchers from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science believe the phenomenon is the largest stationary “gravity wave” ever recorded in the solar system. Emanating from the mountains below, the unusual weather phenomenon is strong enough to withstand ferocious background winds, causing an enormous bow-like structure to hang in the upper atmosphere like a gigantic scar.